Carrier consisting of a braced metal frame



A. HERMAN March 19, 1935.

CARRIER CONSISTING OF A BRACED METAL FRAME 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 20, 1933 Jzwezzimx- Alexander Herman J71 for); qy

March 19, 1935. A. HERMAN 1,995,248

CARRIER CONSISTING OF A BRACED METAL FRAME Filed Jan. 20, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l b vzzim': Alexander Herman /Q v stituting a se Patented ar. 19, 1935 g 1,995,248 CARRIER CONSISTING or A BRACED METAL FRAME Alexander Herman, Berlin, Germany Application January 20 1933, Serial No.

In Germany July 8, 1930 4 Claims.

This invention relates toa carrier consisting of a braced metal frame and capable of many USES.

The invention aims at providing a carrier coneither alone lf-contained structure disclosing a peculiar distribution of forces, which may be used or combined with carriers of the same or similar type, and one of the main objects of the invention is to possible load-carryin gree of stiifness with g capacity and a high deextraordinarily low weight.

' The invention attains its objects by inserting in a center member of any desired form metal struts constituting the diagonals through the space of a prismatic body, preferably a nected at their free wires or rods.

In this way a carrier cube, and being'conends by initially tensioned unit will be produced that is distinguished by a peculiar and very advantageous distribution of .forces, the bending strains acting on the metal s loaded being so elements, such as th truts of such a carrier when small that comparatively weak in-walled pipes orthe like,

may be employed. The center part too may have a simple form and, in

and thin-walled. N0 weight, su'ch carriers particular, may be hollow twithstanding their very low are nevertheless capable of supporting extraordinarily large loads.

If exposure of th e metal struts to bending strains is to be avoided entirely while fully utilizing their compressive strength and breaking resistance, the struts central member The invention are articulated to their joint at their point of intersection.

may be applied for example to iron frame superstructures, in which the bracings hitherto employed comprised rolled profiles of various kinds which were united by riveting, it

being possible now to replace these'heavy structures by constructions made up of carrier units according to the invention.

If subjected to some alterations involving, in the main, mere dimensional adaptations, the carrier unit according to as a commodity for the invention may serve also various purposes and be used,

for instance, as a table or a chair or a supporting frame in shops or the like.

By way of example, the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings which show diiferent embodiments and features thereof.

Figure 1 is an elevation of a carrier. unit constructed according to view thereof; Fig. 3 shows how two can be combined; Fig. 4 is a section the invention; Fig. 2, a top carrier units on an enlarged scale of details of the combination of units and of the bracing;

Figs. 5 and 6 represent anunite the greatest.

FFICE other'application of the carrier unit and are perspective views, respectively, of a chair with back having as base acarrier invention, and of a stool.

Referring to the drawings, the central part of 5 the carrier unit shown a solid or hollow ball unit according to the Figs. 1 and 2 consists of which may be made of metal, and to which eight metal struts produced,

ly connected. The diagonals through for instance, of thin-walled tubing may be firmstruts 2 and 3 constitute the the space of a cube and, in

this construction, are therefore of equal length.

By altering the length possible, without trouble, ing other outlines, such obliquely cut triangular bodies.

The free ends of the struts -by the bracing wires 4 the cube. sions is to of the metal struts it is to produce bodies havas rectangular columns, prisms, obelisks or other are interconnected which form the edges of Ifa carrier unit of very large dimenbe built up, solid rods instead of wires may serve as bracing members, the point of chief importance in either case being the bracing of the individual stmtsin three directions by members to which a certain initial tension has been imparted.

The initial tension of the only an upper limit, 1. e.,

the material of which the wires has, in the main, the tensile strength of bracing wires are made,

and the best effect is'attained if initial tension is chosen so that at the loa ding of the carrier unit the bending strains actingon the struts are reduced to a minimum.

All wires are preferably given the same amount of tension by known means.

Instead of inserting in the central part eight metal struts forming separate structural elements, four continuous struts may be used.

The ends of the metal nected with the metal balls 7,

The metal balls 7 possess bores means of screws.

are suitably confor instance by struts 9 and 10 which cross each other. A collar constructed to fit the bores supports sleeve-like tightening nuts 8 which are bores and may have slo freely rotatable in the tted heads to facilitate the application of a screw-driver or similar tool. The nuts 8 are internally threaded and are adapted to engage a corresponding thread on a thickened projection 4' of Wire spokes 4. g

It is possible of course structed bracing device. thickened head portion ends of the metal struts buckles interposed betwee the bracing wires or to use a difierently con- The wires may have a secured in the spherical 2, 3 with suitable tumn the points of juncture.

like reference characters,

. a seat 16 is secured Or the ends of the metal struts engaged by the bracing wires may have another form and be constructed, for instance, as annular grooves.

In addition to the bracing wires 4 constituting the edges of the cube-like carrier unit, diagonal bracings 5, as shown in Fig. 2, may be provided at one or several or all limiting surfaces, and secured to a ring 6 while their ends engage again tightening nuts 8 supported in the spherical ends 7 of the metal struts 2, 3.

The form of the central part 1 and the manner of bracing the wires may be altered without deviating from the spirit of the invention.

The individual self-contained carrier units or structural elements may be combined to form all sorts of bracings.

Figs. 3 and 4 are detail views of one of many possible connections of twounits.

The four spherical ends '1 of the carrier units A, B to be joined together face each other and are provided with threaded bores engaged by the threaded portions 11. It is evident that connection may be effected also by a number of other known means.

The various units may be connected in one plane and in different directions or they may be superposed in various directions. and interconnected to form bonds of all sorts, such as front walls which may then be faced, or girders, vaults, or tower-like superstructures, the invention being not limited in any way in this direction.

Figs. 5 and 6 show two other forms of application of the invention in so far as the new carrier unit serves as chair frame. Like parts have and, as the structure of the frame corresponds to that of the carrier unit according to Figs. 1 and 2, it will sufiice to-refer to this. The superior feature of such a chair is that the frame itself weighs very little but is capable of carrying loads which considerably exceed the load limits of existing chair frames.

By suitable means, such as hooks or the like,

to the chair and, in the construction shown in Fig. 5, fitted with a back 1'7.

The construction shown in Fig. 6 coincides with that of the chair according to Fig. 5 in so far as four leg struts and four seat struts are connected with a central part, constructed as a cube-like metal member 18 and, furthermore, a plain seat cushion 19 is secured tothe chair frame.

12, 13 of the screw nipples I but the latter is in Fig. 6

By providing for and foot planes the possibility of bending strains may be reduced still more in these constructions also.

I claim:-

1. A carrier unit, comprising a central member, a plurality of metal struts inserted in said central member, said struts forming the diagonals through the space of a prismatic body and having spherical ends provided with bores, a plurality of initially tensioned bracing wires for connecting the free ends of said struts, additional diagonally extending bracings on all limiting surdiagonal braces in the seat.

faces of the carrier, and tightening nuts sup- 7 ported in the bores of said struts and engaging said bracing wires.

2. In a carrier unit according to claim l-coupling members in the spherical ends of the struts for connecting a plurality of independent carrier units.

3. A parallelepipedal skeletonframe unit comprising: a hub member defining the center of the frame, a plurality of straight, rigid strut members anchored to said hub member at their inner ends and symmetrically radiating therefrom to 'ter'minate at and define the respective corners of said frame, and a plurality of tensioned tie members connecting the outer ends of said strut members, defining the external edges of said frame and maintaining each of said strut .members under initial longitudinal compressive stress.

4-. A parallelepipedal skeleton frame unit comprising: a hub member defining the center of the frame, a plurality of straight, rigid strut members anchored to said hub member at their inner ends and symmetrically radiating therefrom to terminate at and define the respective corners of said frame, a plurality of tensioned tie mem-- bers connecting the outer ends of said strut members, defining the external edges of said frame and placing each of said strut members under initial longitudinal compressive stress, and supplemental means for bracing, one face of said 'frame, said means comprising a plurality of tensioned tie members disposed in the plane of said face and interconnecting the outer ends of the stay members disposedv in said plane.

ALEXANDER HERMAN. 

